Ryan's success – which no doubt directly correlates to his ease on camera – is testament to a pair of enterprising parents willing to shoot and edit his videos.

Like much of Forbes' richest YouTubers list, Ryan found a niche and has made it his own.

(WATCH: Ryan ToysReview attempting to create a McDonalds Happy Meal.)

Similarly, four of the top richest vloggers are video gamers who began small but soon stumbled upon an eager audience.

Others, like 3rd richest group Dude Perfect who rake in $14 million a year, simply created videos they would like to watch and kept them online as a place to share them.

The richest YouTuber in the world, Minecraft player Daniel Middleton, is an uber-celebrity among 11-year-olds, yet would have little trouble walking down any street in the world without being recognised.

His channel DanTDM boasts more than 11 billion views and nets him an estimated $16.5 million a year.

Other entrants on the list are trying hard to break into mainstream media.

Fifth-ranked Logan Paul, who came to fame with the six-second video platform Vine, reaps $12.5 million a year and has made several appearances on commercial late night shows.

There is a thread that unites every YouTuber in the top 10: humour. From gaming to personal diaries to sketches, every entrant on Forbes' list uses comedy as the backbone to have their audience return.